Saturday 15 November 2014

G20 ... Our Embarrassment Of A Prime Minister...

So the G20 is currently being held in Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland in Australia.

President Barack Obama spoke to several hundred students and guests at our premier university today - The University of Queensland.  He got a standing ovation and cheers by speaking on many timely topics effecting both individual countries and the world as a whole.

Our Prime Minster, the Hon Mr Tony Abbott, got up and made an ASS of himself in front of the G20 assembly.   But don't let me describe his idiocy..... let's hear from the Shadow Foreign Minister of our Parliamentary Opposition - The Hon Tanya Pilbersek.


Today Barack Obama had a chance to tell the world what he values, his vision for the future and how he thought we should get there.
In a PR coup for the University of Queensland, the President of the United States addressed thousands of students and invited guests.


The President made clear that the historic agreement between China and the United States on climate change is by no means the end of America's commitment to action. The President announced $3 billion for the UN Green Climate Fund to help developing countries deal with climate change.
The science is in, he said, and Australia and the Pacific especially need to pay attention. Extreme weather events, heatwaves, fires and the need to protect our beautiful Barrier Reef for generations to come make action imperative.

The President's commitment to further action on climate change and the restatement of the US policy of rebalance to Asia are likely to be the elements of the speech that attract the most notice in the political reporting, but there were other elements of the speech equally uplifting.
The President also spoke about inclusive growth: economic growth that invests in people, in their health and education, in aid and development.

The President spoke about equality: equality between men and women, equality for gay men and lesbian, equality and freedom that don't discriminate against minorities or on the basis of religion.
President Obama painted a picture of a world in which economic growth is environmentally sustainable and inclusive, where the poor benefit too, not just the rich, in which we work together to meet the challenges of the future.

It was an inspiring speech.

Our Prime Minister Tony Abbott also spoke today. In a speech which he had months to prepare, in his opening remarks to world leaders, Tony Abbott said he wanted to use the G20 to talk about the "politics of economic reform".
He said he made four promises during the election (and no, he didn't mean, "no cuts to health, no cuts to education, no cuts to the ABC and no new taxes") and then boasted about cutting Australia's effective market-based price signal to reduce carbon pollution.
He also took the opportunity to complain to world leaders who represent around 85% of global GDP that Australians don't like his $7 GP co-payment or $100,000 uni degrees.

Wow. 

What a day of contrasts.


Basically, our Prime Minister (whom I didn't vote for), took the opportunity in front of some of the most important leaders in the world to complain about how he failed at his own domestic health policy agenda.

Seriously - this guy needs to spend a couple of years on the "time out mat".

I am embarrassed to be Australian today.

But I am proud to be part-American.

Shalom

D
xox





2 comments:

Jake said...

Please read Obama's agreement with China. China does nothing for decades - business as usual. The United States has strict reduction targets. Typical Obama foreign policy agreement.

Damien said...

Jake - poo poo that all you want - but you do not appreciate the leader you have.

You can take ours if you want. A bible thumper who will cut every essential and/or emergency service so that MINING gets a tax cut.

Yeah - President Obama is SO bad.